This invention relates to a process for making an alkoxy ester by reacting a halogenated ester with an alkali metal alkoxide. In particular, it relates to a modification of that process in which solvent is added to the halogenated ester prior to the addition of the alkali metal alkoxide in order to increase the particle size of the salt byproduct that is formed in the reaction.
Ethyl ethoxy acetate (EEA) is used to make a herbicide. At the present time, it is made by reacting ethyl monochloro acetate (EMCA) with a solution of sodium ethoxide in ethanol. Unfortunately, the particle size of the sodium chloride byproduct that is formed is so small that it passes through all but the finest filters and requires days to settle. Even when a medical centrifuge is used to remove the salt from the reaction crude some EEA product and ethanol solvent are lost because they are infused within the finely divided salt bed.